1.3.Making changes in the gambit #

Now that you have created your first gambit, it’s time to add the messaging that will go in the chat flow.

First off click on the gambit.

The box that opens up a window called the modal where you can see the messages that the bot will send the user and the input options that the user has to respond to the bot.

Under the Bot Messages heading, the bubbles you see here are the actual messaging bubbles that go in the bot. You can simply add the questions/statements here. At the bottom right of the bot messages section there is a blue drop down menu in which creators can choose how users can respond to these messages.

In the TARS bot builder we have several different ways to receive input from users. These range from standard text input in chat to pre-fixed quick reply buttons and custom input specific UI’s like date and number scrollers. You can find more about the different types of Input UI that appear in this dropdown menu over here.

1.5.3.Buttons #

Perhaps the most popular input method on TARS bot platform is quick-reply buttons.

Within this input UI, people can create new buttons using the add option feature and change the text of each button by replacing the default text.

Under these buttons users can toggle several options on and off:

Send on tap– when this setting is turned on and a user taps the button within the chat, the selected option is sent instantly as opposed to the user having to press a button and then press send to send the selected option

Optional input- Users are given the option not to give input in this gambit

Multiple Input- When option is on users will be allowed to send multiple buttons before moving on in the conversation

Branching – When multiple buttons are made by a builder and this option is on, bot creators can redirect the conversation flow based on the button the user selects.

For example when the builder does not keep this option on there is only one connector from the gambit. When the bot creator turns this option on, connectors appear for each button so that selecting each one leads to a different gambit.

1.5.4.Scrollers #

We also understand that it is hard to receive certain info like dates and times from users in a standardised format if input was left to the user. We also understand that typing out full times and dates can be a hassle for the user.

As such, TARS bot builder allows bot creators to use scrollers for date and time to enhance user experience and standardise input.

Date Scroller

Within the date scroller option, creators can customise which dates users are allowed to input. The options are All Dates, Past Dates and Future Dates.

In addition builders have the option of making input optional within this gambit or allowing users to submit multiple dates before moving on to the next question.

Time Scroller

Within the Time scroller option creators can customise the increments of time that users can scroll through using the Time steps to take configuration. As of now creators have the choice of 5, 15, 30 and 60 minute increments.

In addition builders have the option of making input optional within this gambit or allowing users to submit multiple times before moving on to the next question.

5.Configure #

This is where you setup page level configurations for your bot. All the different options are covered below :

1. ConvBot Title – This is the name you give to your bot. The same title will be displayed in your bot canvas.

2. Account Subdomain – Once you deploy your convBot, by default the bot link would look something like https://convbot.hellotars.com/conv/xxxxxx. With this account subdomain, you can change “convbot” to any word of your choice so that this link could be something like https://flipkart.hellotars.com/conv/xxxxxx

3. Page Title – This is the meta title of your ConvBot link. The same title would appear when you share the link on Facebook, WhatsApp or any other channel.

This is the Page Title

4. Email Subject for Notifications – You will be getting an email notification for each complete chat conversation. This is where you can set what the subject line for that email should be.

5. List Email-ids for Email Notifications – You can send these email notifications to multiple email addresses on your end and this is where you list down all the email ids you want to receive these notifications at. Enter each email in a different line and you are good to go. You can test this by completing the bot conversation once and you should get an email at all these email-ids.

5.1.Zapier Integration #

Using Tars-Zapier integration, you can send the data collected via Tars chatbot to other apps you frequently use. For example, you can send the chat response as a message on Slack channel, create a card on Trello, update a Google Sheet and much more.

How Tars and Zapier Integration works –

You get an email notification for each complete chat on your Tars chatbot.

Using Zapier Email Parser, we can extract the data you’d like send to any other app and connect it via Zapier.

Here is what you need to get started with the integration.

The first thing you need to do is go to Email parser and set up a parsing template. Go here http://parser.zapier.com and click to “Signup.”

From there you’ll fill in an email address and password for your parser.zapier.com account. It doesn’t have to be the same email as your Zapier account, but it would be simpler to use that address.

From there, click on “Create Mailbox” and you will be given a robot.zapier.com email address. Take an email you want parsed by the parser, and add this email in the “Configure” section of your Tars chatbot.

Now, go to your chatbot and complete the whole chat once so that you can get a sample email notification. Once you fill it out, go back to Email parser tab and refresh the page.

You will get an email template like this –

From here, highlight the parts of your email that will contain the data you want separated out, and give them names. For me it will be the Name, Email, Phone, etc.

This is when you are done setting up the Email Parser.

Now login to your Zapier account and click on “Make a Zap”.

In the Trigger App, you need to select Email Parser and then select your particular mailbox.

You can then connect the Email Parser app to any third party app like Google Sheets or Trello or Pipedrive or Slack.

6.Distribute #

Now once that you are done creating your ConvBot, you would want to share it with the world right?

Here are two ways of doing it –

1. ConvBot URL – this is the web link of your bot and you can share it via any channel. Be it on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter or email newsletters. When a user clicks on this link, she will land into your bot.

2. Code Snippet for Chat button – This is how you will be able to install your ConvBot on your website. All you got to do is copy this 1-liner js code and put it before the ending </body> tag of all the pages on your site. This will add the Chat button on the bottom right corner of your website.

Adding Chat button on WordPress Site

Here is what you need to do to add the Chat button on your WordPress site.